Scientific events

Flagship species for freshwater conservation

Freshwater ecosystems are essential to life on earth yet they receive little conservation attention and these efforts are poorly resourced. Unsustainable anthropogenic practices, invasive species and climate change are having an increasing impact on freshwater habitats, for example, it is estimated that globally, agriculture accounts for ~70% of fresh water abstraction. Habitat loss and degradation are the primary causes of extinction of freshwater species, and the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems is declining faster than that of any other biome. The use of appropriately selected flagship species has been shown to be hugely effective for a range of habitats and conservationists are using the unique fauna associated with this freshwater environments as a vehicle for protecting freshwater ecosystems. The meeting will highlight the importance of the integrity of the freshwater environment and the associated biodiversity by using three species-focussed case studies. These will highlight the threats to the species in question, but also to the freshwater environment more broadly, and what actions and mitigations are required.

Speakers

Matthew Gollock, Zoological Society of LondonEels – a flagship species for freshwater conservation in the Philippines